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2016 Tight End Bryce Dixon committed to run with the Wolfpack back on June 27th, shortly after camping at NC State on June 8th.  Dixon and his Green Hope High School Football Team kick off their 2015 season tonight in an away game against Heritage High School in Wake Forest.  I reached out to his head coach Kwame Dixon yesterday, who happens to also be Bryce’s father, to get his take on what it’s been like to coach his son.

“It’s been challenging to say the least.  Bryce loves football and works really hard.  We’re an out-of-county family.  I live in Johnston County, but I teach in Wake County.  Bryce came into high school without a lot of social support, so he was trying to make his way.  That’s difficult for a regular student, even more difficult when your dad is a teacher at the school, and even more difficult when you’re a new student and your dad is a teacher and the head football coach,” said Coach Dixon. “We have a 45-minute commute each day, so Bryce and I spend a lot of time together.  That drive presents the opportunity for disagreement and joyous fun-loving times as well.  He’s been a joy to coach.  We’ve cried together at the end of seasons, laughed together, and even bumped heads, but ultimately we both know that we’re father and son.  Coaching is something I do, and football is something he does, but we will always be father and son.”

Coach Dixon talked about the “good” weight that Bryce showed up to NC State camp with this summer, and explained how his newly found size completely changed the way that the Wolfpack coaches saw him.

“The biggest thing has been Bryce’s size.  Being a former college coach and player, when I was evaluating him I was concerned about his top end speed.  The game is played at a certain speed, and it doesn’t matter how well you catch or block.  Bryce has consistently been around a 4.6 guy (40-yard dash), which isn’t the speed that teams are looking for in a wide receiver.  His recruitment was lukewarm at best, but he caught a lot of peoples eye when he put on weight,” said Coach Dixon “When he reported to NC State camp at 225, and was just as fast as he had been at 205.  They saw that he’s a very talented route runner and you don’t have to teach him how to catch.  He’s fast enough to break away from defenders, even more so if he’s working against safeties and linebackers.  When he gained that weight it reopened their eyes.  Old Dominion had been talking about him playing that position for a long time, that he could a h-back, slot back, wide receiver kind of guy.  It wasn’t until after Bryce went to camp, and saw his weight, that NC State then saw him as an H-Back.”

Back in the Spring, Coach Dixon met with NC State offensive coordinator Matt Canada and tight ends coach Eddie Faulkner.  As a result, he adopted a lot of the Wolfpack’s schemes, and thinks that his son Bryce will be ahead of the curve when he shows up in Raleigh next season.

“Before NC State even offered Bryce, I went and visited Coach Canada and Coach Faulkner to talk about formations, because I wanted to do things a different way.  I actually talked with them in the Spring about the formations that they use and how I could adopt them here at Green Hope,” said Coach Dixon. “In our new formations, Bryce actually will be playing the same position at NC State that he plays in our offense.  He will be familiar with what Coach Canada and Coach Faulkner are talking about when he gets there, because we have adopted the same terminology here.”

Bryce Dixon will put his versatility on display tonight, playing on both sides of the ball for the first time as a varsity player.  Go support Bryce tonight out at Heritage High School at 7pm.

Matthew is Co-Owner of Pack Insider. He writes for all sports, with a focus on football and recruiting, and is in charge of business strategy. He is an NC State alum who majored in business. Matthew is also the lead pastor of The Point Church in Cary, NC.

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Basketball Recruiting

North Carolina High School Athletes Will Now be Able to Profit off NIL

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NIL has shaken up the college sports world, and now it will be shaking up the high school sports world in North Carolina (NCHSAA), becoming one of 27 states to approve the ability for high school athletes to profit off their Name, Image and Likeness.

This will officially take place beginning July 1.

In order for a student athlete to begin this process, they will have to take a course on NIL, and their parents, coaches and athletic director will as well. Schools and coaches will not be able to represent the student in NIL Deals, and they will also not be allowed to use NIL as a way to draw athletes to their school.

There are restrictions on what student athletes can profit off of though.

The NCHSAA will prohibit student-athletes from entering into NIL deals with products around adult entertainment, alcohol, cannabis, controlled substances, firearms and ammunition, gambling, prescription drugs, as well as tobacco, vaping, and other Nicotine-related products. Athletes cannot affiliate themselves with a specific school, conference, school district, the NCHSAA, or the NFHS through a NIL deal.

(Link)

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Football Recruiting

NC State’s 2024 Recruiting Class Ranks 29th After Scott Committment

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When Running Back Jayden Scott committed this week, NC State picked up their 5th verbal commitment of the 2024 recruiting class. After his addition, the Wolfpack’s 2024 class currently ranks 29th nationally according to Rivals.

(Rivals)

247Sports ranks the class 30th, and ON3 ranks it 34th.

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Football Recruiting

3-Star RB Jayden Scott Commits to NC State

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Yesterday 3-Star 2024 Running Back Jayden Scott (5’10″/190) verbally committed to NC State.

Scott chose to run with the Wolfpack over Wake Forest and Rutgers. “Duke” battled injury during his Junior season at Stockbridge (Stockbridge, GA), but did play in the final 5 games, averaging 108.4 yards rushing per game. He averaged 8.5 yards per carry, and rushed for 10 touchdowns.

The Wolfpack now has 5 verbal commitments in their 2024 recruiting class. Even though QB Cedrick Bailey and CB Asaad Brown are 4-star recruits according to Rivals, Scott is the highest rated out of the 5 according to ON3.

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Football Recruiting

PI EXCLUSIVE: 4-Star DB Asaad Brown Breaks Down Commitment to NC State

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4-Star 2024 Cornerback Asaad Brown verbally committed to NC State back on March 22nd. I caught up with Brown, and got his take on why he decided to run with the Wolfpack.

They’ve been extremely consistent in letting me know I’m a priority. We’ve built a relationship for a few years. I feel extremely comfortable with their plans for me.

The position I’m coming in for allows me to be versatile and allows me to make plays in a variety ways.

I just need to continuously work on my craft and stay ready so I don’t have to get ready. My main goal is to come in and be able to contribute as a true freshman.

My connection is great [with the NC State coaches]. I feel like we are family. Everyone brings good energy and vibes when I’m around. North Carolina is my home state, so it just all makes sense. It just feels right.

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